Jena / Teufelstal, 04.05.2026 – Following a brutal violent crime, police have arrested three suspects. An 18-year-old man was abducted across state borders in a car trunk and suffered life-threatening injuries in the process.
- Timeframe: Night from April 30 to May 1
- Crime scenes: Rest area in Hessen to Autobahnraststätte Teufelstal (A4, Thüringen)
- Charges: Joint attempted manslaughter, dangerous bodily harm, deprivation of liberty
- Involved parties: Three suspects (including a 21-year-old, all Afghan nationals), one 18-year-old victim
Abduction ends at the motorway in Thüringen
As the Landespolizeiinspektion Jena and the Staatsanwaltschaft Gera jointly announced on Monday, the crime took place during Walpurgisnacht. According to current investigative findings, three suspects locked an 18-year-old man in the trunk of a car at an unnamed rest area in Hessen. They then drove the victim to the Autobahnraststätte Teufelstal on the A4 in Thüringen.
In the course of the crime, the attackers inflicted severe, partly life-threatening injuries on the young man. For tactical reasons, the investigative authorities are currently providing no further information regarding the exact background, the motive for the crime, or the current health status of the 18-year-old.
Arrest warrants and cross-state arrests
Since the crime became known, extensive search and investigation measures have been underway, involving numerous Thüringen police forces. The Amtsgericht Jena has already issued an arrest warrant for a 21-year-old suspect. The Staatsanwaltschaft Gera has also applied for arrest warrants for the two other suspects at the Amtsgericht Gera.
The cross-state police operation finally led to success: With the support of the Saxon police, arrests were also carried out in the neighboring federal state of Sachsen. The three Afghan nationals are now accused of joint attempted manslaughter in coincidence with dangerous bodily harm and deprivation of liberty.
Background: Investigations on the A4 transit route
The Autobahn 4, featuring the prominent Teufelstal rest area, is one of the most important east-west transit routes in Germany. Due to the high frequency of vehicles from Germany and abroad, the Landespolizeiinspektion Jena (whose jurisdiction covers large parts of East Thüringen), the motorway police, and neighboring federal states work closely together on serious crimes. Crimes that, as in this case, originate in Hessen and extend through Thüringen to Sachsen, require complex, cross-state coordination between operations centers.
Source:
Drei Tatverdächtige nach Gewaltverbrechen festgenommen
Transparency Note: This article was automatically created, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.